


An Auspicious Birthday

by thethaumas



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-18
Updated: 2015-02-18
Packaged: 2018-03-13 13:16:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3382928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thethaumas/pseuds/thethaumas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco's birthday isn't going very well until Harry Potter shows up and sits with him at lunch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Auspicious Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> A very happy birthday to the lovely Leia (diydrarry), I hope you have a wonderful day and a gloriously Drarry filled year!

Draco slashed his wand irritably at the potion experiment on his desk, it gurgled alarmingly but did not stop over boiling. He swore and quickly uncapped a bottle of dried rose leaves and crushed one above the cauldron. Slowly, the potion stop boiling and rolled down to the simmer he needed. Draco took out his pewter stirring rod and started stirring the potion counterclockwise eighteen times.

The door to his shared lab banged open and Draco barely had time to throw a shield over the cauldron before the volatile mixture exploded in a mess of blue sludge. Once he assessed himself and saw no damage, Draco turned a glare on the person who had recklessly opened the lab door while the light was on outside it signifying an experiment in progress. He was slightly surprised to see Lovegood looking at him apologetically. She was another Unspeakable and was familiar with the lab, and despite how often she seemed to have her head in the clouds she had never made a mistake like that before.

"Oh Draco, I'm sorry. Wrackspurts were gathering on the door and I thought you were in danger." She said and stepped further into the room, stopping by the table his ruined potion sat upon.

"I was fine until you opened the door." Draco snapped as he started cleaning up. It would be another fortnight before he could try the potion again. They were trying to develop a potion that mimicked the genetics of a metamorphmagus, Draco was  eager to crack it and make it functional from an academic curiosity standpoint. But he found himself more and more hesitant the closer he came to making it successful; all the ways it could be used wrong terrified him.

"You should go get lunch," Lovegood said suddenly and then walked around the table to help him clean up. "You haven't eaten yet."

Draco looked at her in surprise, he didn't know how she could know that. As long as she was fine cleaning up the mess that was her fault anyway, he was fine with it. Draco felt he needed a bit of time away from the lab. "Do you want me to bring you anything?" he asked while taking off this lab robes and hanging them on the hook on the wall.

Lovegood laughed and it was a sweet sound. When he first found out he would be partnered with her Draco was amazed the flighty Ravenclaw could even hold down a job. They weren't close, but he'd soon learned for all her oddities Lovegood was highly intelligent and came up with odd but valid solutions he wouldn't have thought of. "No, go have a good lunch." She said with a smile and a distracted wave as she bent close to examine the congealed mess the exploded potion had become.

Draco shrugged to himself and quickly stepped out of the lab. He made his way out of the maze that was the Department of Mysteries and headed for the exit. There was a small sandwich shop on the street near the ministry that he favored. After getting a sandwich Draco found himself a small table in the shop and tucked in. So far, it had not been a very auspicious birthday.

A shadow fell over his table. Draco looked up in time to see Potter sliding into the seat across from him. He put his sandwich back down on its plate, looking at the other man with unmasked surprise.

While it was because of Potter’s testimony at this trial that Draco avoided an Azkaban sentence, and while they both worked in the ministry, Draco rarely ever saw him. It was not terribly often the Aurors and the Unspeakables worked together, so despite Potter’s lauded standing as their Saviour, Draco very rarely even passed him in the halls.

“Potter,” he greeted now, feeling a little put off and on guard. He had just wanted to enjoy his sandwich in peace before he had to go back in and report the latest failure on the potion.

“Hey Malfoy,” Potter was smiling at him. Smiling at him like he was talking to one of his friends. Draco leaned forward and tried to examine Potter’s eyes to see if he could detect a spell or some kind of brain damage just from looking. “What have you got there?” Potter asked, nodding toward Draco’s sandwich.

Draco looked down at it even though he didn’t need to, he felt he needed some kind of reassurance that he wasn’t dreaming or losing his mind. “It’s a turkey, pear, and brie grilled cheese.” he answered and suddenly had the absurd urge to offer a bite to Potter. He quelled it immediately, blaming it on how off kilter he felt from just being in Potter’s presence. Draco couldn’t help feeling off around Potter, as much as he’d tried to squash the ridiculous crush he’d developed on Potter years ago, it had always seemed to burn at a low simmer inside him.

“Sounds really good,” Potter said and then looked away from him. It was then Draco noticed the way Potter’s foot was tapping against the floor and his hands kept fidgeting with the sleeve of his sweater. He wondered absently where the auror robes went, but was glad Potter didn’t have them on. Draco didn’t know how Potter knew where to find him, but this sandwich shop was muggle and even Draco knew not to wear his robes around here if he wanted to be left alone. Draco’s gaze caught on Potter’s fidgeting fingers. Then he looked up in time to see Potter look away from him quickly again, this time a light flush was staining his cheeks.

Potter was nervous. Draco felt something in his stomach flutter in delight. Potter was nervous because of him.

“Can I help you with something, Potter?” He asked, eager to find out what was making Potter so nervous.

Potter looked up and smiled at him again, “Yeah, actually, yeah.” He wiped his hands on his jeans before he pulled something out of his pocket. Draco watched in astonishment as Potter shielded what he was doing from any prying eyes and enlarged the flat card shaped item into a small box. He fiddled with it for a minute before placing it on the table next to Draco’s plate. Draco was caught between looking down at the box in surprise, and looking up at Potter in equal surprise. Potter seemed to be watching him intently. When he caught Draco’s eye he gave a small smile, “Happy birthday, Malfoy,” he said, his voice quieter now.

Draco could only blink at him in surprise. He must be dreaming. It was the only logical explanation for why Potter was giving him a birthday gift, or why Potter even knew about his birthday in the first place. He didn’t move, just kept looking between Potter and the box in front of him.

“It’s not a prank, I promise.” Potter said with a small laugh.

“Why?” Draco asked, finally finding his voice and a modicum of courage to pick up the box. He turned it around trying to figure Potter out.

Potter shrugged and started fidgeting in his chair again. “It’s your birthday, of course.”

Draco snorted out a surprised laugh and took in a breath before he screwed up the rest of his courage and opened the box, shoving back the part of him that was sure Potter was lying and it was a prank. He couldn’t stop the small gasp he made when he saw what was inside. On a bed of black velvet sat a silver and blue dragon statue that shook its head and uncurled as he watched. Draco looked up at Potter, the gift was gorgeous and he couldn’t believe first that Potter could pick out something so tasteful, and second that he bought it for Draco.

“Thank you,” Draco said reverently. “It’s beautiful,” he looked down at the dragon and it blinked sleepily up at him before tucking itself back into a loose curl and falling asleep. Draco closed the box around it again, not wanting any curious muggles to see.

Potter was smiling widely at him now and Draco felt his heart flip over at being the focus of Potter’s joy. “You’re welcome,” he said and then ducked his head. He looked up at Draco again, a flush blossoming on his cheeks again. Draco felt his own small flush of pleasure at seeing Potter so flustered over him. “I was also wondering if you’d want to go out for dinner?”

Draco leaned forward and looked Potter up and down and smirked, “Are you asking me out, Potter?”

“I--Uh,” Potter reached up and messed his horrible mop of hair up even more. “Yes, yes I am.” he said after a long moment, looking Draco straight in the eye. “What do you say?”

He took a moment to sit back and cross his arms. Did he want to go on a date with Potter? It seemed rather out of the blue that Potter was asking at all, but it wasn’t like Draco could deny that he’d always been drawn to him. Or that Potter had filled out well in the years since the end of the war. Or that he was probably a little in love with him. Draco drummed his fingers against his arm as he thought and then asked, “And when would you want to do this?”

Potter instantly brightened, and the answering clench in Draco’s chest told him all he needed to know. Yes, of course he’d want to go on a date with Potter. “What’s a good night for you?”

“Well,” Draco began, drawing out the word while he pretended to think about it. “I don’t recall having plans on Thursday.” Which was true, but he also did not have plans any other night of the week, Draco was far too busy doing research for the potion, and his own research into developing his own potion to help heal the scars the cruciatus puts onto its victim's minds.

Potter leaned toward him, grinning, “So Thursday night then?”

“Thursday,” he smiled. Draco’s heart was hammering in his chest and he leaned forward too, giving in to a strange desire to grab Potter’s hand. “Thank you again for the gift.”

Potter grinned and squeezed his hand, “I’m glad you like it.” He squeezed Draco’s hand again and then stood up and let go. “I need to get back to work, but I look forward to Thursday,” then he gave Draco a long heated look and said, “Happy Birthday Draco,” and walked out.

Draco sat stunned for a moment longer, hearing his name out of Potter’s mouth sent a shock of pleasure down his spine. After a minute he palmed the box and put it in his pocket before hurrying to follow Potter out. He might be patient when it came to developing his potions, but for fuck’s sake today was his birthday and Draco wasn’t going to wait another two days for something he wanted. And he wanted Potter. Now.

He caught up with him out in the street, Potter wasn’t walking very quickly and seemed to be walking jauntily down the street.

“Potter!” Draco called as he ran forward to catch him.

Potter turned around in surprise and Draco took advantage of it by crowding into his space. He reached up and wrapped a hand around Potter’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss. For an instant, Potter was frozen against him. Then he let out a low noise in the back of his throat and his arms came up and wrapped around Draco’s body tightly as he kissed Draco back deeply. Draco let out a small moan of his own as he was surrounded completely by the fire that was Harry Potter. He bit down on Potter’s lip and licked his way into the other man’s mouth.

When they parted for air Draco couldn’t help licking his bottom lip, chasing the taste of Potter. Potter was looking at him with lidded eyes that tracked the movement of his tongue. “What was that for?” Potter asked, breathless.

“It’s my birthday,” Draco grinned, rubbing his thumb over the back of Potter’s neck. “And I wanted to.”

Potter laughed and broke out into a wide grin that Draco couldn’t help mirroring. “Well, then happy birthday again, Draco.”

“Thank you,” Draco paused and looked into Potter’s wide eyes for a moment and then added, “Harry,” and was delighted by the way his whole face lit up before Harry squeezed him tightly and kissed him again.


End file.
